Croatia has started to test digital passports, becoming among the first countries in the European Union to do so.
Croatia implemented the Digital Travel Credential (DTC) project earlier this week, with the authorities saying that they aim to facilitate travel as well as improve the safety of passengers by using the latest technology, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
Presenting the project, Certilia said that the digital travel credential will offer many advantages for citizens of the country. As explained, citizens will be notified of border crossings through the Certilia mobile app, and they will be able to use separate exits, avoiding lost waiting times.
The digital travel credential enables citizens to have faster and more pleasant border crossing experiences by announcing their border crossings through the Certilia mobile application and using separate exits at border crossings.
– CERTILIA
As Total Croatia explains, the development of the IT solution for the digital travel certificate was completed by the experts of the Ministry of Interior of Croatia and the Agency for Commercial Activities.
The same noted that at the presentation of the project in Zagreb, all citizens who were interested were given the chance to be among the first ones to download a digital travel credential on their mobile phones.
Commenting on the project, the head director of the Agency for Commercial Activities, Jure Sertić, said that this is a significant step towards modernisation and facilitation of travel.
This pilot project, with which we enabled Croatian citizens to be among the first in the world to test the future of travel with a digital travel credential, represents a significant leap towards the modernization and facilitation of travel and the further digitization of administrative procedures both in Croatia and in the EU.
– SERTIĆ
In addition to the above-mentioned, it was explained that the app will initially be available for download on all Android phones.
As for IOS, it has been noted that the version is expected to be ready for use by the end of the year.
Those who download the app and provide the required information will be able to use the digital passport for travel from the Zagreb Airport.
In the first phase of testing, the service will be available on all Android phones, while the iOS version is expected by the end of the year. To start with, digital passports will be used for identification and travel from the Zagreb Airport.
–CERTILIA
However, as the project develops, the number of border crossings, as well as the countries involved, will grow.
The digital travel document, known as DTC, is just as reliable as the physical passport. It enables a smooth and fast border crossing without compromising safety.
Croatia is the second country in the EU to test digital travel documents, following Finland. Finland started testing digital travel documents in August, with the authorities saying that the digital version will significantly facilitate the travel process.
Source : SchengenVisaInfo.com